Purge process conducted in the presence of a purge plasma

Abstract

The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a method for reducing defects associated with a plasma deposition or etching process. In this particular embodiment, the method includes creating a plasma in a deposition or etching chamber ( 140 ) and purging undesirable species from the deposition or etching chamber ( 150 ) in the presence of the plasma.

1 . A method for reducing defects associated with a plasma deposition or etching process, comprising: 
 creating a plasma in a deposition or etching chamber; and    purging undesirable species from the deposition or etching chamber in the presence of the plasma.    
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the undesirable species is silane.  
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the plasma is a purging plasma and the method further includes creating a depositing or etching plasma prior to creating the purging plasma.  
   
   
       4 . The method as recited in  claim 3  wherein the purging plasma and depositing or etching plasma are continuous.  
   
   
       5 . The method as recited in  claim 3  wherein the purging plasma uses a purging radio frequency and a purging process gas and the depositing or etching plasma uses a depositing or etching radio frequency and a depositing or etching process gas.  
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 5  wherein the purging process gas is an inert gas.  
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 6  wherein the purging process gas includes helium.  
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 5  wherein the purging radio frequency and the depositing or etching radio frequency are substantially similar.  
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  8  wherein the depositing or etching process gas is substituted for the purging process gas.  
   
   
       10 . The method as recited in  claim 1  further including stopping the plasma after substantially all of the undesirable species are removed from the deposition or etching chamber.  
   
   
       11 . A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit, comprising: 
 forming transistor devices over a substrate, including; 
 plasma depositing or etching a material layer in the presence of a depositing or etching plasma in a deposition or etching chamber;  
 creating a purging plasma in the deposition or etching chamber after plasma depositing or etching the material layer; and  
 purging undesirable species from the deposition or etching chamber in the presence of the purging plasma; and  
   forming interconnects within dielectric layers located over the transistor devices to form an operational integrated circuit.    
   
   
       12 . The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the undesirable species is silane.  
   
   
       13 . The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the purging plasma and depositing or etching plasma are continuous.  
   
   
       14 . The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the purging plasma uses a purging radio frequency and a purging process gas and the depositing or etching plasma uses a depositing or etching radio frequency and a depositing or etching process gas.  
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein the purging process gas is an inert gas.  
   
   
       16 . The method as recited in  claim 15  wherein the purging process gas includes helium.  
   
   
       17 . The method as recited in  claim 15  wherein the purging radio frequency and the depositing or etching radio frequency are substantially similar.  
   
   
       18 . The method as recited in  17  wherein the depositing or etching process gas is substituted for the purging process gas.  
   
   
       19 . The method as recited in  claim 11  further including stopping the purging plasma after substantially all of the undesirable species are removed from the deposition or etching chamber.